Interim Senior Commercial Counsel - Part Time

Michael Page Legal; Newbury; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Part-time role

6-month contract

Job summary

Michael Page Legal is recruiting an Interim Senior Commercial Counsel for a SME manufacturing business in West Berkshire. This part-time role (3 days per week) focuses on leading commercial contract reviews, negotiations, and governance in a growth phase.

You will advise on manufacturing, supplier and supply chain agreements, develop templates, and help establish scalable legal processes while collaborating with the CFO, CEO, and senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Experience drafting and negotiating large, complex commercial agreements.
• Experience supporting high-growth businesses with multinational customers.
• Ability to set up a new legal function in a fast-growing company.

Responsibilities

• Lead review, negotiation and management of commercial agreements.
• Advise on manufacturing, supplier and supply chain agreements.
• Develop contract templates and improve governance and approval processes across the organisation.
• Oversee external counsel and coordinate specialist advice when required.
• Support international expansion and corporate transactions.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Commercial contracts

Stakeholder management

Legal advice

Job description

The Interim Senior Commercial Counsel is to join a SME Manfacturing business that is in an exciting phase of growth and is looking to bring in their first legal hire on a part time basis to support the business through this time.

Client Details

An SME Engineering business based in West Berkshire.

Description

Commercial Contracts

• Lead the review, negotiation and management of commercial agreements.
• Support customer contracts with large international technology businesses.
• Advise on manufacturing, supplier and supply chain agreements.
• Develop and implement contract templates.
• Improve contract governance and approval processes across the organisation.

Legal Function Development

• Establish scalable legal processes, policies and governance frameworks.
• Create practical legal procedures appropriate for a fast-growing business.
• Build legal risk management capabilities.
• Implement contract management and record-keeping processes.
• Work closely with leadership to identify and mitigate legal and commercial risks.

Corporate & Strategic Support

• Support future international expansion and subsidiary creation.
• Assist with legal aspects of fundraising, investment and corporate transactions.
• Advise executive leadership on governance and strategic matters.
• Oversee external legal counsel and coordinate specialist advice when required.

Intellectual Property & Innovation

• Partner with external IP advisers and patent attorneys.
• Support protection and management of the company's extensive patent portfolio.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner closely with the CFO, CEO and wider executive team.
• Provide practical, commercial and business-focused legal advice.
• Work collaboratively across Engineering& Research, Commercial, HR and Finance functions.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.

Profile

A successful Interim Senior Commercial Counsel should have:

• Experience in drafting and negotiating low volume but large and complex commercial agreements.
• Experience supporting a high-growth, scaling business that sells into large multinational organisations.
• Experience in setting up a new legal function into a business.
• The ability to provide clear and practical legal advice.
• Good communication and problem-solving skills.

Job Offer

• Hybrid working style - 1 day a week in the office / 2 within the first 1-2 months.
• 6 month contract
• 3 day - Part time position